1. Field of Art
The disclosure generally relates to the field of electronic maps, and specifically to the customizable interactive mobile maps.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile maps give users the convenience of accessing geographical information directly on mobile devices. However, the current map solutions have severe limitations. They allow little or no customization. For example, at a particular location and zoom level, the same geographical information is presented to all users. Apparently, there is no point that the solutions show the same highways and roads to a cyclist and a driver. It is also unnecessary for the solutions to show parks, restaurants, and bars at all times and to show all subway routes and bus routes to all commuters.
In addition, traditionally, map data is processed on the server to create graphic image tiles at fixed zoom levels. Then at each zoom level, there are a preset number of elements rendered, such as points of interest (POIs), residential roads, and highways. The drawback is that custom styling cannot be easily applied on the mobile device. At a given location and zoom level, every user is presented with the same map image.
As a result, current mobile map solutions lack the ability to create a personalized map that accurately reflects users' preferences.